1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cigarette lighter such as a small, portable hand-held fluid or gas bearing lighter for lighting cigarettes that includes an exterior display, and specifically to an improved cigarette lighter having at least two changeable images displayed by a lenticular optical display for visually displaying a series of different images.
2. Description of Related Art
Portable cigarette lighters are well known in the prior art. Typically a small portable cigarette lighter is sized to fit in one""s hand and has a moveable flint stone, a disposable (non changing flint) or an electronic type device for creating a spark and a source of fuel such as lighter fluid or gas. The fluid is dispersed either on a wick or under pressure as a gas. A manual valve permits gas to be expelled out of an opening at the moment of ignition. Cigarette lighters have often been used also as decorative items such as in creating a cigarette lighter in the shape of a statue as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,093,016 issued to Lin. Oftentimes cigarette lighters are also sold or given away for advertising purposes with business names displayed on them and with corporate or club logos as gifts. Corporations have cigarette lighters with the corporate names on them or the corporate logos for forms of advertisements.
The present invention provides for a cigarette lighter that is very useful for advertising and selling into distribution channels (or similar) by having multiple image indicia displays using a lenticular lens array on its outer surface.
Lenticular lenses are well known in the art for use as an optical system to visually display various types of optical images. Lenticular optical systems known in the prior art generally include a transparent sheet having a planer surface on one side, and on the other side a series of parallel, longitudinal convex ridges forming a multiple lenticular system of convex lenses. The image indicia is typically disposed behind the lens on the side having the planar surface. A printed sheet containing a series of spaced image lines constitute the dissection or breakup of a master image. The series of space image lines are optically related with respect to the lenticular lens elements as to be alternately visible upon positional changes of the observer and the observer""s line of sight with respect to the lenticular lenses. When viewed from a first position, a first series of image lines are visible and display a first composite image. When viewed from a second position, a second series of image lines are visible and display a second composite image at the same location where the first image was previously viewed. U.S. Pat. No. 2,815,310 issued to Anderson discloses an example of a lenticular optical system.
Further advances in lenticular optical systems have resulted in an increase in the number of observable frames available. The increase in observable frames has made lenticular animation possible. Therefore as the observer""s line of sight moves relative to the lenticular viewing screen, a series of pictures come successively into view creating an impression of changes in motion of the images. Currently, lenticular optical technology is capable of producing a composite image of a series of images resulting in an animated picture when viewed continuously at successive viewing angles.
The production of images which change with a change in viewing angles has been known for many years. It is described, for example, by V. G. Anderson in U.S. Pat. No. 2,815,310. The images are produced on opaque or transparent sheets of material such as paper, paper board, or plastic. The resulting inprint, in black and white or color, is laminated to a transparent lenticular lens. Alternatively, a transparent plastic carrier may be printed on a traverse side and viewed through a lenticular lens space of the carrier. In addition technology maybe used to display a wide variety of useful information such as account information, telephone numbers, and email addresses, as examples.
A lenticular screen, as is well known, has a number of lenses arranged in a side-by-side relationship. Each lens, commonly termed a lenticle may be formed by an elongated or circular convex frontal surface, and a flat rear surface.
The printed image is formed by two or more interleaved pictures producing a grid of parallel lines with alternating striations. The pitch, or number of picture-element pairs per unit distance, must be the same as the lens pitch of the lenticular array. In addition, the focal length of each lenticle should be equal to the thickness of the the lenticular sheet. Under these conditions, at one viewing angle an observer would see only one picture, while on a different angle the same observer would see the other picture(s). The requirement that the picture elements be in registration with the lenticular array complicates the printing and lens forming steps.
The focal length of the lenticles must equal the thickness of the lenticular sheet. At a pitch of 100 lenticles per inch, assuming a half cylinder lenticular surface, the focal length for a conventional plastic sheet, having a refractive index of 1.5 to 1.6, is 0.016 to 0.019 inches.
With the present invention, display indicia can provide animation or movement of graphic or alphanumeric information which is used as a form of advertising or information or graphics designs on the surface of a cigarette lighter while still acting as a suitable support handle and grip for the lighter during manual actuation. The lenticular lens aides in the gripping of the lighter surface while the lighter is being held to make the user""s hand hold the lighter more efficiently.
Many cigarette and cigar and pipe lighters are made of smooth metal and can be slippery at times, which could be dangerous if the lighter slips while being used to light a cigarette.
With the use of the present invention, a lenticular surface attached to the housing of a cigarette, cigar, or pipe lighter, the housing can be easily held without slipping, creating a non-slip surface from the lenticular grooves while at the same time providing for a multiple image display that can be used for advertising or graphic designs suitable for distribution/resale of the lighter on the lighter of at least two different images at the same location.
A cigarette lighter including a cigarette lighter body sized and shaped much like a tubular or rectangular housing, said cigarette lighter including an ignition and flame device to provide for a flame for lighting a cigarette. The cigarette lighter housing or body may be made of a durable plastic or metal that includes a dual image indicia display affixed to the outer surface of the cigarette lighter body and a lenticular lens array disposed in one embodiment laterally around the outside surface of the lighter body, said lenticular lens being sized and shaped to permit dual image display indicia caused by movement of the lighter body relative to an observer""s line of sight to create different images at the same location on the exterior surface of the lighter. The lenticular lens system has a plurality of ridges forming convex lens surfaces separated by grooves. The grooves aid in grasping the lighter body. The cigarette lighter body is encompassed in a lenticular display system that can provide animated images or other useful dual information. The lenticular array is also capable of providing a non slip surface on the outside of the lighter body. Therefore the invention may include at least a portion of the cigarette lighter surface on the housing comprising a transparent lenticular display with images under the lenses forming at least two image displays.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a cigarette lighter that includes a lenticular optical system for at least two different image displays on its outer surface at the same location.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable, hand-held cigarette lighter that includes a lenticular optical surface system that allows for the lighter to be gripped in the hand as an non-slipping surface for safety reasons.
At yet still another object of the invention is to provide a lighter with a lenticular display that provides multiple indicia displays for advertising, information, and graphic design purposes.
In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings.